Ocean floor video to track trawlers’ footprint
Watch the video: Benthic Trawl Experiment 2014 “The footage is very clear; it’s the best and most systematic video we have of life in the trawl lanes,” says Attwood. Hake live in deep water during the day, mostly at depths of 350 to 600 metres, and because of their inaccessibility they aren’t often observed in their wild habitat. But they migrate vertically, coming up to feed at night. Most trawling is therefore done during the day when the fish are near the seabed. “Mass food production has an environmental impact, and it’s great that we have the fishing industry’s co-operation on this experiment,” says Attwood. “They understand that we need to limit harvest to replenishable numbers, and that it’s important to work with the ecosystem.” Source: University of Cape Town 30 June 2014 A pioneering experiment being conducted in the Atlantic Ocean 100 nautical miles off the west coast of South Africa will tell marine researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) how long the seabed and its ecosystem takes to recover after hake trawling operations. The Benthic Trawl Experiment is a joint research project between UCT, the South African Deep Sea Trawl Industry Association, the South African Environmental Observation Network (Saeon), and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It’s the first in a series of experimental surveys of the impact of bottom trawling on the benthic communities – organisms that live in or on the seafloor – of the outer shelf of South Africa’s west coast, says Associate Professor Colin Attwood, the chief scientist on the project. These will be conducted annually, though Attwood says it will take longer than the allotted four years for previously trawled lanes to bounce back.Recovery among sea-floor species Saeon’s Lara Atkinson, who is managing the project, says: “We have been planning for a long time to get this experiment under way, and we’re very excited about this opportunity to be able to monitor for any changes in the benthic communities in the areas where trawling has stopped.” The researchers have established a 6-by-15 nautical mile block within one of the fisheries’ commercial blocks, and divided this into five lanes, two of which will remain open to trawling. The remaining three will be closed over the project’s lifespan. Data recovered during repeated surveys over this time will give researchers a clearer idea of recovery among seafloor species – and of the ocean floor itself, which becomes churned up by metal trawl “doors” (some weighing up to 10 tons) angled to hold open the net mouth as it is pulled along. A towed camera and a Van Veen grab (instrumentation used to collect sediment) will be used to sample benthic epi-fauna and in-fauna respectively.Marine life not previously seen on the seabed Two-and-a-half hours of video footage of the seabed, shot during the first of the experimental surveys on board the research vessel Ellen Khuzwayo in February, show marine life previously not seen on the seabed: jacopever, spiny eels, starfish, anemones and other crustaceans – and hake.
The Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday issued notices to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s younger son, Abhijat, over the alleged destruction of forested area to construct an eco-resort near the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary in south Goa. A Division Bench of Justices Mahesh Sonak and Prithviraj Chavan directed Mr. Abhijat Parrikar, promoter of Hideaway Hospitality, and the State Chief Secretary, Secretary of Environment and Forests and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, to respond to the notice by March 11. On February 4, Abhijit Dessai, deputy sarpanch at Netravali, filed a petition seeking stay on the construction of the eco-resort promoted by Mr. Abhijat Parrikar, alleging that the project had destroyed forested areas and by-passed several laws. An ordinance had been specially moved to ensure fast-tracked facilitation of the project which is spread over nearly 90,000 sq. metre. Mr. Dessai has also sought the restoration of the land by the promoter.The issue sparked a war of allegations between the Opposition Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently. All India Congress Committee Secretary A. Chellakumar, Goa State Congress president Girish Chodankar, former Chief Ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane, and leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar addressed a press conference on February 6. They said that the area, which is part of the 83,625 sq metres-plot owned by Mr. Abhijat Parrikar, was deforested in the guise of an eco-tourism project. The Congress legal cell chief and former Goa Advocate General Carlos Ferreira had alleged that the project which was initiated in 2013, and fast-tracked by multiple government agencies like the Investment Promotion Board, State Town and Country Planning and Forest departments. “There have been three governments headed by the BJP from 2012-2014 by Mr. Manohar Parrikar, 2014-2017 by Laxmikant Parsekar and the present one headed by Mr. [Manohar] Parrikar again. All three have been party to nepotism and facilitation of illegalities,” he said. BJP Goa president Vinay Tendulkar, in response to a query from The Hindu, had rubbished the allegations made by the Congress leaders. “There are no illegalities in the project. Mr. Manohar Parrikar’s son will not do anything against the law. He has purchased the land. We have full faith in them,” he said at a press conference last weekend.
A doctor from north Bengal, Neela (Cathrine) Bhattacharya, has been awarded for her work with children born with cleft lips or palates. Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit recently presented the award instituted by a Chennai-based organisation. Dr. Bhattacharya has treated around 4,000 children. She is also the recipient of the 100 Women Achievers in India award, given by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. Dr. Bhattacharya was the first to set up a plastic surgery department in Siliguri. She said she was elated with the award, “particularly as it came from [her] home State Tamil Nadu”.
Chelsea hat-trick hero Abraham: We can do betterby Paul Vegasa month agoSend to a friendShare the loveChelsea striker Tammy Abraham says there’s more to come from him after his hat-trick at Wolves.He admitted afterwards that there was still plenty for the team to work on, although winning while learning and adapting was the most important thing.”It’s been an amazing day,” reflected Abraham to chelseafc.com. “Coming to a place like Wolves is never easy so the manner of the victory is something we can be very pleased with. We played well, scored goals and got three points to take home with us so it’s been a great day.”Obviously we did concede two goals and that is something we’re disappointed about because a clean sheet would have been fantastic but we will take the positives out of this performance and take it into the next game.” About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
SEOUL, South Korea – Hyundai Motor Co. said Thursday it will begin selling its first self-driving vehicles by 2021 in partnership with U.S. based self-driving technology startup Aurora Innovation Inc.Within in three years, Hyundai and Aurora will bring autonomous vehicles to markets that can operate without human input in most conditions, the company said in a statement.The auto industry designates that as “level 4 autonomous driving,” just one stage short of fully autonomous driving.The partnership has yet to say how its first batch of self-driving vehicles will be used, but analysts expect they likely be for commercial use, such as self-driving taxis or ride-hailing services, rather than for sales to individual consumers. General Motors said in November that its self-driving vehicles will carry passengers and deliver goods in big cities by 2019.Aurora was founded by a former chief technology officer at Google’s self-driving car unit, a former Tesla Autopilot director and a former self-driving engineer at Uber.Hyundai has been pursuing partnerships to keep pace with changes in an industry that is being transformed by artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and other cutting edge-technologies.It earlier joined with Cisco Systems Inc. and Baidu Inc. to collaborate on internet-connected cars. It has also set up a $45 million fund with South Korea’s SK Telecom and Hanwha Asset Management to invest in artificial intelligence startups worldwide.The South Korean automaker plans to share more details of its project with Aurora during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, where it will also unveil the brand name of a new fuel-cell SUV that will be tested for self-driving technology.The company plans to show off some of its autonomous driving cars during the Winter Olympics Game next month in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
DETROIT — Even though unemployment is low, the economy is growing and U.S. auto sales are near historic highs, General Motors is cutting thousands of jobs in a major restructuring aimed at generating cash to spend on innovation.It’s the new reality for automakers that are faced with the present cost of designing gas-powered cars and trucks that appeal to buyers now while at the same time preparing for a future world of electric and autonomous vehicles.GM announced Monday that it will cut as many as 14,000 workers in North America and put five plants up for possible closure as it abandons many of its car models and restructures to focus more on autonomous and electric vehicles.CEO Mary Barra said as cars and trucks become more complex, GM will need more computer coders but fewer engineers who work on internal combustion engines.“The vehicle has become much more software-oriented” with millions of lines of code, she said. “We still need many technical resources in the company.”The reductions could amount to as much as 8 per cent of GM’s global workforce of 180,000 employees.The restructuring also reflects changing North American auto markets as manufacturers continue to shift away from cars toward SUVs and trucks. In October, almost 65 per cent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. were trucks or SUVs. That figure was about 50 per cent cars just five years ago.GM is shedding cars largely because it doesn’t make money on them, Citi analyst Itay Michaeli wrote in a note to investors.“We estimate sedans operate at a significant loss, hence the need for classic restructuring,” he wrote.The reduction includes about 8,000 white-collar employees, or 15 per cent of GM’s North American white-collar workforce. Some will take buyouts while others will be laid off.At the factories, around 3,300 blue-collar workers could lose jobs in the U.S. and another 2,600 in Canada, but some U.S. workers could transfer to truck or SUV factories that are increasing production. The cuts mark GM’s first major downsizing since shedding thousands of jobs in the Great Recession.The company also said it will stop operating two additional factories outside North America by the end of next year.The move to make GM get leaner before the next downturn likely will be followed by Ford Motor Co., which also has struggled to keep one foot in the present and another in an ambiguous future of new mobility. Ford has been slower to react, but says it will lay off an unspecified number of white-collar workers as it exits much of the car market in favour of trucks and SUVs, some of them powered by batteries.The GM layoffs come amid the backdrop of a trade wars between the U.S., China and Europe that likely will lead to higher prices for imported vehicles and those exported from the U.S. Barra said the company faces challenges from tariffs but she did not directly link the layoffs to them.GM doesn’t foresee an economic downturn and is making the cuts “to get in front of it while the company is strong and while the economy is strong,” Barra told reporters.Factories that could be closed include assembly plants in Detroit and Oshawa, Ontario, and Lordstown, Ohio, as well as transmission plants in Warren, Michigan, and near Baltimore.The announcement worried GM workers who could lose their jobs.“I don’t know how I’m going to feed my family,” Matt Smith, a worker at the Ontario factory, said Monday outside the plant’s south gate, where workers blocked trucks from entering or leaving. “It’s hard. It’s horrible.” Smith’s wife also works at the plant. The couple has an 11-month-old at home.Workers at the Ontario plant walked off the job Monday but were expected to return Tuesday.After the morning announcement, Barra headed for Washington to speak with White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow in what was described as a previously scheduled meeting.President Donald Trump, who has made bringing back auto jobs a big part of his appeal to Ohio and other Great Lakes states that are crucial to his re-election, said his administration and lawmakers are exerting “a lot of pressure” on GM.Trump said he was being tough on Barra, telling the company that the U.S. has done a lot for GM and that if its cars aren’t selling, the company needs to produce ones that will.At a rally near GM’s Lordstown, Ohio, plant last summer, Trump told people not to sell their homes because the jobs are “all coming back.”Most of the factories to be affected by GM’s restructuring build cars that will not be sold in the U.S. after next year. They could close or they could get different vehicles to build. Their futures will be part of contract talks with the United Auto Workers union next year.The Detroit-based union has already condemned GM’s actions and threatened to fight them “through every legal, contractual and collective bargaining avenue open to our membership.”Bobbi Marsh, who has worked assembling the Chevrolet Cruze compact car at the Ohio plant since 2008, said she can’t understand why the factory might close given the strong economy.“I can’t believe our president would allow this to happen,” she said Monday. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown said the move will be disastrous for the region around Youngstown, Ohio, east of Cleveland, where GM is one of the area’s few remaining industrial anchors.“GM received record tax breaks as a result of the GOP’s tax bill last year, and has eliminated jobs instead of using that tax windfall to invest in American workers,” he said in a statement.GM, the nation’s largest automaker, will stop producing cars and transmissions at the plants through 2019. In all, six car models were scrapped, leaving the company with nine remaining car models for its four brands, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC.Among the cars that won’t be made after next year is the Chevrolet Volt rechargeable gas-electric hybrid. When introduced a decade ago, the Volt was meant to be a bridge to fully electric cars, the company said. It has a small battery that can take it about 50 miles, then it switches to a small gasoline engine.But since it was introduced, battery technology has improved dramatically, GM said. Now the full-electric Chevrolet Bolt can go up to 238 miles on a single charge.The United Auto Workers promised to fight any plant closures and criticized GM for cutting U.S. jobs while building full-size pickups in Mexico. It also recently announced that a new Chevrolet Blazer SUV will be built there. Also, GM imports the Buick Envision midsize SUV from China.___Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto, John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.Tom Krisher, The Associated Press
MATHURA: Actor and BJP lawmaker Hema Malini on Sunday campaigned in her parliamentary constituency, Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh with her husband and actor, Dharmendra, by her side. The popular Bollywood couple addressed a crowd for the Jat community where a massive crowd turned up. Addressing the rally, Dharmendra recalled how his humble beginnings helped him become a successful actor. “I am the son of a farmer and I have worked very hard in the fields when I was young,” he said. Dharmendra had a brief political stint about ten years ago when he contested the 2004 national elections from Rajasthan’s Bikaner on BJP ticket and won. Raising the poll pitch in the constituency, where the BJP has won four out of six Lok Sabha elections since 1991, Dharmendra told the crowd: “Gao walon, (Hema ji ke liye) vote karna. Nahi to kisi aas paas ki tanki pe chad jaunga aur wahan bahut mausi ko pukarunga. Bahut mausiyan aa jayengi. (Dear villagers, please vote for Hema Malini ji. Else, I will climb on one of the tanks and give a shout out to Mausi ji. I am sure a lot of them will come).” He reminded the crowd of the iconic scene from the movie, “Sholay”, where Hema Malini starred together with her husband and played the role of “Basanti”, a village girl. Hema Malini said she was excited to have her husband by her side. “With just two days remaining for the poll campaign to end in Mathura, people are excited to see me and him together. People have seen both of us together in so many movies. We are seeking votes for Mathura’s development,” she told reporters. Before the rally, she tweeted a picture of two of them together and said it was a “special day”. “Today is also a special day for me! Dharam ji is here in Mathura to campaign for a whole day on my behalf. The public is waiting eagerly to get a glimpse of him & listen to what he has to say! A photo taken in my house in Mathura just now before we leave for campaigning…(sic),” she wrote.
Recommended for you Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsAppGrand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands – February 8, 2018 – Following on from the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, government services have resumed across all sectors, but it is important for the general public and our clients to be aware that there remain challenges in a number of key areas which currently impact service delivery.The islands of Grand Turk, South Caicos and Salt Cay which account for 54% of government staff, suffered significant damage to government infrastructure during the last hurricane season. This is in addition to damage to schools which accounted for the majority of loss.As of today there remain a significant number of displaced departments which are currently being housed within other departments whilst they await repairs to government infrastructure. This includes critical departments such as the Information Technology, Customs, Planning, Land Registry, Public Works, Land Survey, Internal Audit and other departments on the island of Grand Turk. Following on from the Hurricanes the Ministry of Infrastructure conducted damage assessments and costing on all government buildings.In the area of communication, we have noted a marked improvement in communication services on the island of Grand Turk which should result in the full functionality of department phones. To this end persons can now once again reach departments through the switchboard numbers 946-2801 and 338-2801, while a full listing of government direct extensions is also posted on the governments website for easy reference. Kindly note that the departments telephone lines operate on a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) system which relies on the stability of the network itself.Revenue and Expenditure systems have suffered a number of challenges during recent months due to internet and communication instability, but with recent improvements by telecommunication providers this should shortly be resolved.We take the opportunity to thank our clients for their patience during this period and do hope that we can work to expeditiously resolve all remaining concerns.Please see below an updated listing of the affected departments new operating locations:Customs Department – Treasury Department, Front StreetCentral Information Technology Unit – Treasury Department, Front StreetPublic Works Department – Former Chief Minister’s Office, Government Compound, Pond StreetPlanning Department – Former Chief Minister’s Office, Government Compound, Pond StreetWater Undertaking Department – Former Chief Minister’s Office, Government Compound, Pond StreetLand Registry Department – Attorney General’s Chambers, Waterloo Plaza, Airport RoadValuation Department – Attorney General’s Chambers, Waterloo Plaza, Airport RoadSurvey and Mapping Department – Attorney General’s Chambers, Waterloo Plaza, Airport RoadCrown Land Unit – Attorney General’s Chambers, Waterloo Plaza, Airport RoadElections Department – Strategic Policy and Planning Unit, South BaseInternal Audit Department – Audit Department, Tony Clarke Office ComplexRoad Safety Department – Printing Department, Ruthann Lightbourne PlazaMinistry of Education, Youth and Sports – Franklyn Misick Building, Church FollyTCIG Press ReleasePhoto by Magnetic Media, Providenciales Police Headquarters after Hurricane Irma Editorial: Listen to your Mama TCI Premier Responds To Beaches’ Letter Announcing Closure Facebook Twitter Google+LinkedInPinterestWhatsApp Related Items:#hurricaneirmatci, #hurricanemariatci, TCIG Seriously, Sixth Form registration begins at Clement Howell High Aug 15
Bradley Elliott, 57, of Sterling, worked for the district as a junior varsity hockey coach at Kenai Central High School for the 2005-06 school year. He was also involved with the hockey program at Soldotna High School for three seasons, from 2007 to 2010. The victims that filed the suit are “seeking damages in excess of $100,000 from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association and former hockey coach”, according to court documents. Elliott faces 62 years and 240 days in prison, with 42 years suspended and a $300,000 fine. A status hearing is scheduled for December 18, according to Courtview. Facebook0TwitterEmailPrintFriendly分享A former hockey coach on the Kenai Peninsula was sentenced on Monday to 62 years in prison for sexual abuse of six minors and possession of child pornography. According to charging documents, Elliott plead guilty to a total of 15 charges, including six charges of 2nd-degree sexual abuse of a minor, one charge of possession of child pornography and eight charges of indecent photography. A suit was filed against the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the Kenai Peninsula Hockey Association in February claims the two organizations failed to “warn students” and alleges negligent hiring, training and supervision practices. The damages sought in excess of $100,000 were listed in court documents for “psychological and counseling expenses, rehabilitation expenses, physical injury, emotional distress, pain and suffering, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life.”
WILMINGTON, MA — Below are the latest legal notices related to Wilmington, published during the week of Sunday, May 26, 2019:190598 — Vibert — 12 Ox Bow Drive190637 — Wilmington Board of Appeals — Roberts Burke Gifford190686 — Superior Court — Ficociello — 500 Main St190693 — Benson — 26 Fairmeadow Road190694 — Land Court — Hutchison — 32 Marcia Road190695 — Land Court — Armata — 26 Shady Lane Drive190708 — Wilmington Conservation Commission — RDA — 8 Lexington Street190709 — Wilmington Conservation Commission — RDA — 6A Falcon Road190710 — Wilmington Conservation Commission — 100 Research Drive190711 — Wilmington Conservation Commission — 635 Main Street(NOTE: The above public notices is from MassPublicNotices.org.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedWilmington’s Latest Legal Notices (Week of July 28, 2019)In “Government”Wilmington’s Latest Legal Notices (Week of August 18, 2019)In “Government”Wilmington’s Latest Legal Notices (Week of June 30, 2019)In “Government”
